Means for vulcanizing articles in fluids



25, 1925. A C. H. GRAY i Q MEANS FOR VULGANIZING ARTICLES IN FLUIDS W hFi led June v 1924 Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTIAN HAMILTON GRAY, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN HAMILTON GRAY, a subject of the King ofEngland, residing at London, England, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Means for Vulcanizing Articles in Fluids, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to means forvulcanizing hollow articles in fluids and has for its object to obtain amore homogeneous product than has heretofore been possible whenvulcanizing articles of considerable size in fluids.

A roll such as is used for paper making comprises a hollow cylindricalmetal shell to the surface of which a layer of rubber is attachedthrough the medium of a layer of ebonite.

It is essential that the rubber on these rolls should be vulcanized tothe same degree throughout, in order that its resulting resilience andstrength should be uniform.

It is the practice to vulcanize these articles in a horizontal positionin a vessel containing a fluid which is heated to bring it tovulcanizing temperature.

When the said articles are vulcanized in a fluid which is a badconductor of heat (as for example water) it is found that thetemperature of the fluid in the interior of the article does not risewith the temperature of the fluid exterior to the article, which resultsin the temperature of the metal shell of the roll rising much morequickly at the ends than at the center and consequently the portion ofthe covering adjacent the metal shell being vulcanized to a greaterdegree at the ends than at the center of the roll.

According to one feature of this invention, there is combined with meansfor so carrying the article within the fluid-containing vulcanizingchamber that it can be rotated therein, of means, such as scoops,secured to the article or a part carrying the same in such manner as tobe operative to circulate the fluid through the interior of the latteras it rotates.

Another feature of this invention is the method of vulcanizing hollowarticles in a fluid-containing vulcanizing chamber consisting incirculating the fluid through the interior of the said article.

In the acompanying drawings which il- MEANS FOR VULCANIZING ARTIGLES INFLUIDS.

Application filed June 17, 1924. serial 1T0. 720,562.

is illustrated as a paper-roll A having a rulbber layer A attached tothe roll by an ebonite layer A These two layers A A are to be vulcanizedand in the description are treated as part of the article A. Thecontainer comprises a cylindrical chamber B surrounded by a jacket C.The interior of the jacket is supplied, by means not indicated, with theheating medium for Vulcanizing, which may be steam.

At one end of the container is an inlet B for fluid, and opposite thisis an outlet B This same end is provided with a detachable cover Bwherein is mounted a drivingspindle D. The driving-spindle extendsthrough a stufiing-box D in the cover. At its outer end it carries apulley D whereby it may be driven, and at its inner end it has a drivingcross-arm D The paper-roll is ordinarily carried on a shaft E and this,for the purpose of vulcanizing, is supported in brackets E which affordbearings wherein it can rotate. The brackets are mounted on a trolley Fand this runs on guide-rails G within the container. A driving-head E isattached to the shaft E at that end near the cover B of the container,and two pins E extend from the driving-head to engage the cross-arm D ofthe spindle D.

These paper-rolls are ordinaril provided with end-openings A and for t epurpose of this invention these are taken advantage of to insert thereinscoops H whose open ends face in opposite directions, that is, one inthe direction of rotation and the other in the reverse direction.

The guide-rails G enable the paper-roll to be easily brought into properposition within the vulcanizing chamber B with the driving-head E of theshaft E in pro-per position for engaging the cross-arm D of thespindleD. When the cover-plate B is tainer exterior to the article.

in position, the vulcanizing chamber is filled with a fluid, which maybe water, and a heating medium, such as s eam, 1s introduced into thesurrounding acket C. The spindle D is then set in motion so that theroll is rotated in the chamber. mouth of the leading SCOOPi H advancesthrough the water, water will be driven in thereat, and the trailing onewill permit water to escape therefrom so that a circulation of waterwill be maintained through the interior of the roll. This circulation ofliquid through the roll is found to effect a more even vulcanization ofthe rubber towards the inner portion of the mass of rubber than hasheretofore been possible.

Vanes may be provided on the article if desired to circulate the waterround the con- A vane suitable for this purpose is illustrated at J,Figures 2 and 3. The vane is carried by radial arms J secured on theshaft E and is made in form to correspond to a quick-thread screw sothat, as the roll A rotates, the water or other fluid within thecontainer will be propelled in the endwise direction of the container,as well as having imparted to it a rotary movement about the axis of theshaft E. More than one vane may be employed, if desired, and it is notnecessary that these should extend from one end of the roll to theother, although the vane J is shown so arranged.

Obviously, the invention is not restricted to the vulcanizing ofpaper-making rolls, as it is applicable to any article which can berotated, and can be made hollow and have communication with the exteriorfor the purpose of circulating the water through them.

The invention is not restricted to the use of liquid as the medium forconveying the heat in the jacket to the article, but it is applicablealso to the use of a gas, such as air, for this purpose.

Where the article is not provided with end-holes through which theliquid could be circulated, these may be specially provided, and somearticles which have heretofore been made solid might preferably be madehollow for the purpose of getting an even distribution of heat throughthe same during vulcanization.

I claim 1. In apparatus for vulcanizing a hollow article in a fluid, thecombination of a vulcanizing chamber to contain the fluid, supportingmeans for rotatably mounting the article in said chamber, andfluid-circulating means movable with the article and arranged tocirculate the fluid through the interior of the article as the articleis rotated, substantially as described.

2. In apparatus for vulcanizing in a fluid a hollow article havingopenings in its wall, the combination of a vulcanizing chamber As theopen for the fluid, supporting means for rotatably mounting the articlein said chamber, and scoops movable with the article and arranged tocirculate the fluid by way of said openings through the interior of thearticle as the article is rotated, substantially as described.

3. In apparatus for vulcanizing a hollow article in a fluid, thecombination of a vulcanizing chamber to contain the fluid, supportingmeans for rotatably mounting the article in the chamber, adrivingspindle extending through one wall of the chamber, means foroperatively connecting the driving-spindle within the chamber to thearticle, and fluid-circulating means movable with the article andarranged to circulate the fluid through the interior of the article asthe article is rotated, substantially as described.

4. In apparatus for vulcanizing a hollow article in a fluid, thecombination of a vulcanizing chamber to contain the fluid, a hollowarticle of elongated form having orifices in its end-portions rotatablymounted in said chamber, and fluid-circulating means rotatable with thearticle and arranged to circulate the fluid through the interior of thearticle by way of the aforesaid orifies as the article is rotated,substantially as described.

5. In vulcanizing apparatus, the combination of a vulcanizing chamberfor a fluid, a hollow article of elongated form to be vulcanized havingorifices in its end-portions rotatably mounted in said chamber, adriving spindle extending through one wall of the chamber, meansoperatively connecting the driving spindle within the chamber to saidarticle, and fluid-circulating means rotatable with the article andarranged to circulate the fluid through the interior of the articlebyway of said orifices as the article is rotated, substantially asdescribed.

6. In apparatus for vulcanizing a hollow article in a fluid, thecombination of a Vulcanizing chamber to contain the fluid, supportingmeans for rotatably mounting the article in said chamber,fluid-circulating means movable with the article and arranged tocirculate the fluid through the interior of the article as the articleis rotated, and means rotatable with the article and arranged to impartmovement to the fluid within the chamber about the exterior surface ofthe article as the article is rotated, substantially as described.

7. In vulcanizing apparatus, the combination of a vulcanizin chamber fora fluid, a hollow article of e ongated form to be vulcanized havingorifices in its end-portions rotatably mounted in said chamber,fluid-circulating means rotatable with the article and arranged tocirculate the fluid through the interior of the article by way of saidorifices as the article is rotated, and means rotatable with the articleto impart movement to the fluid within the chamber about the exteriorsurface of the article as the article is rotated, substantially asdescribed.

8. In vulcanizing apparatus, the combination of a vulcanizing chamberfor: a fluid, a hollow article of elongated form to be vulcanized havingorifices in its end-pen tions rotatably mounted in said chamber,fluid-circulating means rotatable with the article and arranged tocirculate the fluid through the interior of the article by way of saidorifices as the article is rotated, and a vane' carried on thecircumferential surface of the article and arranged to impart movementto the fluid within the chamber about the exterior surface of thearticle as the article is rotated, substantially as described.

9. In apparatus for vulcanizing a hollow article in a fluid, thecombination of a vulcanizing chamber to contain the fluid, supportingmeans for rotatably mounting the article in the chamber, adriving-spindle extending through one wall of the chamber, means foroperatively connecting the driving-spindle within the chamber to thearticle, fluid-circulating means movable with the article and arrangedto circulate the fluid through the interior of the article as thearticle is rotated, and means rotatable with the article and arranged toimpart movement to the fluid within the container about the exteriorsurface of the article as the article is rotated, substantially asdescribed.

10. In apparatus for vulcanizing in a fluid a hollow article havingorifices in its wall, the combination of a vulcanizing chamber for thefluid, supporting means for r0tatably mounting the article in thechamber, a drivin spindle extending through one wall of tie chamber,means for operatively connecting the driving spindle within the chamberto said article, scoops movable with the article and arranged tocirculate the fluid through the interior of the article by way of saidorifices as the article is rotated, and a vane rotatable with thearticle and arranged to impart movement to the fluid within thecontainer about the exterior surface of the article as the article isrotated, substantially as described.

11. In apparatus for vulcanizing a hollow article in a fluid, thecombination of a vulcanizing chamber to contain the fluid, a hollowarticle of elongated form having orifices in its end-portions rotatablymounted in said chamber, fluid-circulating means rotatablewith the.article and arranged to circulate the fluid through the interior of thearticle by way of the aforesaid orifices as the article is rotated, andmeans rotatable with the article and arranged to impart movement to thefluid within the container about the exterior surface of the article asthe article is rotated, substantially as described.

12. In vulcanizing apparatus, the combination of a vulcanizing chamberfor a fluid, a cylindrical paper-making roll having orifices in itsend-portions rotatably mounted in said chamber, fluid-circulating meansrotatable with said roll and arranged to circulate the fluid through theinterior of said roll by way of the said orifices as the roll isrotated, and means rotatable with the roll and arranged to impartmovement to the fluid within the container about the exterior surface ofthe roll as the roll is rotated, substantially as described.

13. In vulcanizing apparatus, the combination of a vulcanizing chamberfor a fluid, a cylindrical paper-making roll having ori fices in itsend-portions rotatably mounted in said chamber, scoops carried in saidoriflces and arranged to circulate the fluid through the interior of theroll as the same is rotated, and a vane carried on the circumferentialsurface of the roll and arranged to impart movement to the fluid withinthe container about the exterior surface of the roll as the latter isrotated, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

CHRISTIAN HAMILTON GRAY.

